Chapter 4 ordered. It come out in a day or so. I should get my copy by the middle of next week.

Amazon.jp price seems "reasonable" at about $86 with shipping. ($64 for the Blu-ray with $22 shipping to the US).

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They (CD Japan) shipped mine back on the 21st (that's the U.S. date - it was 2/22 in Japan) -- and since I have package tracking -- atm, its being processed through U.S. Customs. I'll probably have it by Tues. or Wed. of this week.

Watched it this evening. A very good set of episodes. Though it asks more questions than it answers (it answers a lot of quetions, but just added a whole bunch more to the pile).

The episodes are trying to convince me that this verson is better than the original. I'm not quite arguing with them anymore, but there are several plots going on that need resolving aside from the plots in the original show. And it looks like they will have time to resolve most of those plots. One plot I can tell is a setup for the future and probably won't resolve in this series. That will just be a matter on if they decide to make more after Yamato 2199.

Watched it this evening. A very good set of episodes. Though it asks more questions than it answers (it answers a lot of quetions, but just added a whole bunch more to the pile).

The episodes are trying to convince me that this verson is better than the original. I'm not quite arguing with them anymore, but there are several plots going on that need resolving aside from the plots in the original show. And it looks like they will have time to resolve most of those plots. One plot I can tell is a setup for the future and probably won't resolve in this series. That will just be a matter on if they decide to make more after Yamato 2199.

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I just watched all 4 episodes myself last night; and other than them showing combat with the Comet Empire (who were the main enemies in the second original Yamato series); I didn't see them add any plot lines that couldn't be resolved in the remaining 12 episodes (I'm assuming we're slated to get a full 26 like the original had.)

And I agree with you in that I REALLY like how they are re-telliing the original story; yet still adding completely new (but logical) nuances and expanding on the original (in a good way).

Some of the stuff I've enjoyed (protected by spoiler code for anyone who may want to view the episodes in whatever form they can get them :

IMO - it was pretty obvious from the start of this new series - but episode 14 pretty much confirmed Yiki Mori was born/is from Inscandar; and lost - or had her memories altered by the Earth Admiralty to make her think she's Terran.

I LOVE that they're showing multiple political and personal motives of the Generals and other members of Desler's staff. Especially the fact that the upper echelon doesn't trust Desler, or agree with a lot of what he's doing.

I also love that we find out the Earth forces DID in fact fire first in the Garmillan/Terran first contact. And while we all realize that was a BAD decision on Earth's part -- the fact is, at least we the audience know that in all likelyhood, had they established a dialogue - the Garmillas probably would have demanded Earth's immediate surrender anyway - and the result would most likely have been the same. It does add an extra dimension to Captain Okita's character as to all the stress he's been under having to keep that secret for 8 years.

It's interesting (and this is just based on the final episode on the disc) that as far as I can tell, the producers of this series even included the race (and their technology) that was the main protagonist in the 2009 'original continuity' - "Yamato: Re-Birth " animated feature. The Miezela Celestella (propaganda Minister) character is stated by General Domel as "being a descendant of the race that built the gates" <-- Refering to the Inter-Dimensional gate tech Desler is making use of. <-- This is my own personal supposition, but given what they showed in episodes 12 and 13; the dimensional 'submarine' tech seemed similar to what that race in the 2009 film was doing in combat with the Yamato.

I also like the fact that Desler has figured out the Yamato's destination; and it's strongly inferred that he's planing something that involves 'merging' his world with the planet Iscandar (and he assumes Starsha and the Iscandarians can't do anything but sit and watch.) If that's the situation, it adds a whole new wrinkle as to why Starsha and the Iscandarians decided to assist Earth - and even their motives may not be as altruistic as they appear.

I'm really starting to hate the fact we have to wait months between new disc releases.

Out on the Edge of Gamilus Space, Dommel's Six Fleet are dealing with the lastest invasion of the barbarians. Once finished he is recalled to the homeworld to receive one of the highest awards from Dessler himself, who the Fleet Admiral says has something special in mind. Dommel comes home because it is an order, but does not wish to leave the front lines as this front is the most important in the Empire.

Back on Yamato they have to deal with their Gamilas guest left over from Episode 10. They find that aside form her blue skin she is pretty much human. Kodai wants to let her go because she seems honorable and did help them. Shiima is still upset by the idea that the Gamilas said the humans shot first.

A survivor from First Contact tells Shiima the truth. And it is decided to let the pilot go in a system that has a small Gamilas base in it. But before that Yamamoto decides she needs to vent her anger in a dogfight with the Gammy.

Shiima and Kodai get into a fight over the Gamilas during a meeting about their first warp outside the galaxy. The Captain puts them on cleaning duty starting with the barrel of the Wave Motion Gun.

Back on Gamilus, Dessler is talking on the hotline to someone and believes he knows were Yamato is going. Following this we have the parade and award ceremony for Dommel. Dessler asks him to take over the Milky Way Theater to deal with Yamato. Dommel accepts because it is basically an order from the Emperor. We find out some bits of modivations for the various Generals and Admirals of the Empire as well as some problems within the Empire. Dommel requests a special ship to be used against Yamato that requires the Emperors' clearances to use. Dommel then goes to see his wife at a graveyard (one assumes this is the anniversary of their child's death).

Back on Yamato, Kodai and Shiima have talks with various people while they clean the ship to overcome their problems. Everything seems back to normal until a torpedo hit the ship from out of nowwhere.

Dommel's Fleet arrives at Balun to relieve Goer of command. he is kept on as Dommel's second. At the arrival Dommel is informed that Frakken has found his prey.

Meanwhile in a protostar cluster, Yamato is hiding while torpedoes comes from nowhere attempt to flush them out. It seems Frakken has a Dimentional Submarine that can hide in a Dimentional Fault...the kind of place Yamato was trapped in Episode 10. Sanada thinks he found something when Okita collapes. He is taken for immediate surgery, leaving Sanada in command.

After some more cat and mouse, Kodai and Niimi get into an arguement over how to look for the enemy submarine. Niimi's choice is more logical and followed.

Kodai is sent to check on the Captain, but then decides to just do his plan anyway with the help of the Boatswain. The plan results in some damage to Yamato, but they escape.

Celestra arrives on Balun in her own battleship to make use of some ruins against Yamato. Frakken's submarine is purposed to spead a chain on probes to help with Celestra's plan.

On Yamato, now outside the Milky Way, Yuki and Kodai are out on patrol to make sure Frakken hasn't followed them. Yuria is standing around the autopilot's room again, when Yamato's transmission are cut to the patrol ship. Yuki turns them around to see what happened to Yamato.

They find Yamato spinning adrift. They manage to board her and find no one. The ship restarts shortly after they arrive on the bridge on some sort of automatic heading. Looking like it will try to warp someplace.

They decide to try and stop the ship, but start having weird waking dreams from their past. However things get really weird after that as Yuria arrives to rescue Yuki from the dreams. (Dreams that disturb the attacker.)

Yuki can't stop the ship with the auto-navigation system, so she goes to take the Wave Motion Core out to stop the ship. When the mental attacks focuses again on Yuki, Kodai is able to snap out of his dreams. They, with Yuria, manage to save the ship and its crew.

Back on Balun, Celestria is saddened by the loss of one of her own and leaves on her battleship.

So these episodes....are they going to broadcast them on TV for the TV run, or are they just going to pick up where these OVAs left off for the TV show? Because I've only been able to locate the first 4 episodes of this at the usual places and I'm wondering if I need to step up my efforts to find them before the show starts airing in a month or two.

The TV broadcast will start at the beginning and should continue on for all 26 episodes by September or October.

The TV version should catchup with the OVAs in September for the last four episodes if the release dates are similar to how they have been up to now.

Also I'm fairly certain up to episode 10 can be found in places. Episode 11-14 of course just came out, but they will likely show up someplace in the next month or so if I know uploaders habits well enough.

I'd rather "try before I buy" in case I end up not liking it. Not as likely to happen in this case, but I have had bad experiences with other anime. Usually that means legal streams or Netflix though, I've been trying to get away from those other options.

The new trailer for Chaper 5 should be out early tomorrow on youtube (placed there for the production committee). it think it is going to be 90 seconds long rather than the 60 second version they showed in the theaters last weekend (which no one has seen yet outside theater goers).